A new web-based ministry is urging Christians to adopt a terrorist and pray for them as Jesus Christ had instructed his disciples to love and pray for their enemies.
Adopt a Terrorist for Prayer (ATFP) agrees that the military needs to fight terrorism, but advocates prayer as a counter-offensive strategy not utilized by generals and politicians. ATFP founder Dr. Thomas Bruce believes the war on terrorism is a spiritual struggle against fear.
“The terrorists are just the highest profile intimidators in Satan's arsenal,” Bruce said in a released statement. “They think they are serving God.”
Bruce believes terrorism achieves Satan’s intention when it destroys courage by creating fear.
“Fear destroys hope by inspiring despair. Despair destroys faith and spreads doubt. Doubt undermines trust and then isolates us from one another,” he contends. “You and I can resist the debilitating effects of terrorism by identifying with this prayer movement, encouraging each other, and challenging others to join.”
Terrorists are vulnerable to the authentic Word of God and to Jesus’ forgiving love, Bruce believes.
The idea was sparked by a retired Army general who spoke at a Fellowship of Christian Military Ministries conference about the need for spiritual resources in the battle against terrorism’s spiritual attack. Bruce began thinking about how to fight terrorism on a spiritual level starting in spring 2007.
His idea became reality more recently when the site, myatfp.org, became available online.
He cited what God said through the prophet Ezekiel – “I take no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but rather that they turn from their ways and live.”
“People can go to www.myatfp.org to learn about nearly a hundred prominent at-large and captured individuals identified by the FBI and State Department as either terrorists or terrorism sponsors,” the ministry founder said.
He added, “Visitors can then find a terrorist to pray for, as well as see how many others are praying for them. It's all about connecting these prayer warriors to each other to see how others are praying, to encourage each other, to spread the word, and fight this War on Terrorism in a powerful and spiritual way.”
On the Web: myatfp.org
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"Let's take care of our own first." Check out James 2:1,9-10: My brothers, as believers in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ, don't show favoritism... But if you show favoritism, you sin and are convicted by the law as lawbreakers. For whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles at just one point is guilty of breaking all of it.
I certainly do not like the actions and results of terrorists, but I would suggest that we are just as guilty and just as bad as the terrorists because all sin is bad in the eyes of God. We should pray for all sinners, not just our friends and family. How many places does Jesus teach us we are not worthy to judge others? Here are references to at least three: Lk 6:37, Lk 6:42, Jn 8:7. It seems to me, that when any person repeats something three times, he or she REALLY wants us to take notice! When that person is God, that would seem to be a commandment, not a suggestion.
Interesting responses. I don't understand the thinking that would exclude praying for our enemies as well as praying for ourselves. It flies in the face of Jesus' explicit instructions and the principle that it is more blessed to give than to receive. I think this others-centered approach is a key to revival.
I feel that this is an amazing opportunity to serve God as He has asked. Way to go! We are called to love our friends as well as our enemies. Prayer is the strongest thing that man has.
wrhalver,
Regarding your 2 comments;
The church already has enough sin to clean up on the inside.
Show me the perfect church. If you can show me the perfect church, then the moment you and I step through the door, it won't be perfect anymore.
Let's take care of our own first.
Jesus commissioned his disciples to go into all nations and preach the gospel, baptizing them in the name of The Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
This is brilliant, absolutely brilliant. These Muslims terrorist are weakened when Christians pray for them. We have seen it firsthand with the Indonesian Muslim terrorist who initially made people scared to go to church. Prayers are really powerful if said in the name of the Lord, and now those bombed church are fully renovated and holding service to full capacity.
We are praying to God to bless both our enemies and our friends as we are instructed to do in the Bible by Jesus himself. If you're a Christian, that should be all the reason we need.
Not "either/or" but rather "both/and"
The church already has enough sin to clean up on the inside.
Let's take care of our own first.
Still aways about the other person. Why not pray that those who lead the free world, to give up oppressive foreign policy? Policy that has killed more Arabs and Muslims, than Arabs and Muslim have killed Christians and Jews., since WWII.
Praise God for this ministry! To me, a terrorist is just a person who has all the signs of someone who, deep down inside, is searching for what only Jesus can provide. They're looking for victory? I recommend they join us in serving the One who has overcome the world, Jesus.